Brown, the Ottawa Senators 11th overall selection in 2016, has scored three goals and nine assists in only four games since being traded to Kitchener from the Windsor Spitfires, finding an immediate home with linemates Adam Mascherin and Kole Sherwood.

In October, Brown made his NHL debut with the Senators, registering one assist in four games, before heading back to the Ontario Hockey League with a goal of leading the U.S. to a world junior title. Yet limited to only three games with the U.S. at the world juniors tournament due to a knee injury, Brown says he had a “fire in his belly” to showcase himself following the trade to Kitchener.

“I wanted to prove myself on the biggest stage (at the world juniors), but not being able to do that has given me a lot of motivation to prove to Ottawa that I’m ready,” he said. “Now I want to prove it on this stage (the Ontario Hockey League), trying to be the best player on the ice every night and do all the little things to be a pro.”

With the way the Senators are spinning their wheels at the bottom of the standings these days, you have to look down the road for the positive lights.

In addition to Brown, who now has a combined 16 goals and 20 assists in 19 games with Kitchener and Windsor, Drake Batherson and Alex Formenton are also enjoying offensive surges.

Batherson, who enjoyed his coming out party for Canada at the world juniors, has scored five goals and 12 assists in 11 games since being traded to Blainville-Boisbriand from Cape Breton in the QMJHL. That includes a hat trick on Saturday. Formenton, the speedster who joined Batherson on the Canadian squad, has 17 goals and 15 assists in 30 games with London. He played a game with the Senators to open the season, the first 18-year-old in three years to play in the NHL.

They all figure to be part of a future wave for the organization, joining current 21-year-old Senators rookies Colin White and Thomas Chabot.

“I want to play in the NHL as soon as I can,” said Brown. “My goal this year was to make the (Senators) and I feel like I made a lot of big steps. Next year, it’s the same thing. I want to go in there and make the team.”

Kitchener coach Jay McKee, the former Buffalo Sabres defenceman who had his share of battles with the Senators over the years, is naturally ecstatic at how quickly Brown has settled in.

“With Logan’s playmaking abilities, his vision and puck protection, he creates a lot of space, two on ones by himself,” said McKee.

“His talent at this level is through the roof. His size (6-6 and 220 pounds) is a distinct advantage at this level. We’ve got him smiling.”

In terms of comparisons, McKee likens Brown to Dylan Strome, who was selected third overall by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2015 NHL draft.

Strome, 21, has scored only one goal and one assist in 18 games with the Coyotes, but has a bright future, having scored 17 goals and 24 assists in 32 games with the Coyotes’ AHL affiliate in Tucson.

“Foot speed is something he has to continue to work on (for NHL success),” said McKee. “In the NHL, you need that explosive speed. He’s a lot like Strome, such a great playmaker. But if you try to slow the game down at the NHL level, those guys are too fast, they’ll catch you from behind.”

Brown, who spent time with the Senators medical staff while rehabilitating his knee injury – “they wanted me to be up there, to make sure I had a good plan in place and that it was diagnosed right,” he said – recognizes that he has to increase the tempo of his game.

“I’m a big guy,” he said. “Speed and pace is what I have to work on in my game, to be a full 200-foot player, to be responsible in the defensive zone.”

The immediate goal for Brown and Kitchener is to capture the Memorial Cup. If it happens, Brown would end his junior career with back-to-back titles, after winning last season with Windsor.

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